BLERDgirl

I am vegetarian and deathly allergic to seafood. Highly processed foods tend to trigger my allergies. My Protein comes from Beans, tofu, seitan, dark green veg, grains, nuts, dairy (mostly cheese and yogurt) & eggs. I don't drink/like cow's milk, but I do eat greek yogurt. I prefer FAGE 0%. I also supplement with whey Protein powder. It takes being creative, but I have no problem keeping my protein between 85 - 100 gms. My carbs are often high, but as long as they aren't coming from "white" or heavily refined sources I don't worry about them. I am also allergic to artificial sugars and stevia. I don't often add sugar to my foods. I do eat fruit several times a week. When I do add sugar use either real sugar or raw honey. At 10mths I keep my calories between 800 - 1000 a day and work out 5 - 6 days a week. @@pookybear - You could try having Meatless Monday's with your boyfriend. Look for meaty textures like portabello mushroom and filling grains like quinoa and farro.

3 weeks. Once they scab over you are fine. Water aerobics is my main source of exercise. At my 2week post op I was ready to return, but my doctor advised me to wait for it to scab over. That took another week.

Now. I didn't have a pre-op diet. I wasn't interested in a "food funeral" or any gimmicky dieting. I started my journey to wellness years before I even considered WLS. 4½ years ago after a really horrible illness I joined a gym and changed my eating habits. I gave up sodas and processed foods. I started drinking 4 -6 glasses of Water each day and I started keeping a food journal on MFP. It made surgery a whole lot easier. I had no pain/gas/nausea post op. Was able to get out of bed and walk from the time I woke up in recovery. By the time I had surgery the only thing I had to work on was increasing my daily Protein intake from 50gms a day to 85 - 100gms a day.

I'm not sure what the point of your post is. You have a record of what you are eating, you say you are losing. The only suggestion your nutritionist had was to eat more veggies. I don't think the way you are eating is a good idea, but if it's working for you in terms of losing and your nutritionist doesn't have an issue with it, what's the problem? Hopefully you are eating dark green veggies like spinach and broccoli that have a bit of Protein in them and you are getting in some form of physical activity. Is there something I'm missing?

My carbs are almost always high. As long as my protein stays within the 85 - 100 range, and my carbs aren't "white" or refined carbs, I don't worry about it. My calories are often in the 800 -1000 calorie range.

Don't juice your veggies, especially if you are getting a little constipated. Juicing gives you too much fruit sugar and almost no fiber. If you must drink your veg, then try blending in a nutrabullet type product instead.

It's a tough decision to make. I was 414 at my highest. I choose the sleeve because I did not like the idea of rewiring my organs or the malabsorption from bypass. I was however fully aware that the weight loss would be slower with the sleeve and take a bigger commitment from me. At 10 mths out I can look back and say this first year has been relatively easy for me in terms of losing weight. I am mentally preparing myself to have to really work harder after this first year to lose. I have already committed myself to new eating habits and regular exercise, but I am literally working my butt off. I work out 5 -6 days a week and maintain a food diary. I am 26lbs away from the benchmark goal I set for myself to hit at 1 year out and 1.6lbs away from the goal range I wanted to hit. My anniversary date is September 18. I hope to be down with 100 - 125lbs by then. Think about your lifestyle and eating habits. That's the best indicator as to which procedure would be best for you.

Take into consideration age, and BMI. I'm 51, 5'2½" and my starting BMI was 67 or 68. I have never been a big meal eater to begin with. I have been using MFP for 4 years so I know that pre-op I rarely ate more than 1200 -1500 calories a day. I am sure my nutritionist recommended that I stay in the 800 range due to how much weight I need to lose. It has worked for me. 10mths in I am nearly 100lbs down with no pre-op diet at all. I aim for a Protein goal between 85 -100 daily. I eat according to how active/hungry I am. For example, last week I went to the beach. I did more walking and playing than I tend to do even on my busiest gym days. My calories totaled 1100 that day and I needed every calorie. I doubt there will ever be a day when I can eat 1700 calories consistently. My maintenance calories will likely end up in the 1200 -1500 range.

If you have a decent relationship with your nutritionist I recommend speaking with her. If I was you, I would switch to one shake a day and then 2 meals and a snack if necessary. Sitting with food does not seem like a good idea. It feels like a slippery slope to grazing all day. One of the hardest things to learn is to stop when full. For me that meant stopping even when I just had 1 - 2 bites left. Now I do like @Languerr13 and trash those last 2 bites. When do you fit in drinking Water and exercise with your method? Are you logging your food and keeping track of carbs, sodium & sugar as well?

I was 400-600 until week 6 then I was 600 - 800. My calories stayed in the 750 -850 range until month 9. I am now allowed to go up to 1000. Some days I need it and other days I don't. Most days I still hoover between 850 - 950.

I was eating salads somewhere around 4 -6 weeks, but I was addition spinach raw or frozen to my protein shakes from day 1. I never had any issues with vegetable raw or cooked.

That can lead to grazing. There is nothing wrong with planning for 3 meals and 2 Snacks, but I wouldn't sit with food. Are you doing Protein shakes or supplements of any kind? In the early stages I liked to start my day with a hearty Protein shake. I used Protein powder and added some greek yogurt for added protein. If it took longer than an hour to drink I put it away so I could then drink some Water.

It's takes some time to gradually work up to hitting those goals. Each day just strive to do better. Right now it's slow going. Coco Libre is about 15 gms of protein and I think 11ounces. I would strive for at least 3 of those a day. Have the first at 8 am. Make sure that any food you eat is protein rich. Yogurt, cottage cheese, soft scrambled egg (if you are allowed at 3 weeks). It's 64 ounces of fluids, not water although it should be primarily water. So if you drink 3 coco libre a day that 33 ounces of fluids and 45 gms of protein. If you are drinking 32 ounce of water, you will now have hit your Fluid goal. (33 + 32). Depend on the type of yogurt you choose and/or if you can have eggs you now only need 15 additional gms of protein. 2 ounces of FAGE 0% greek yogurt is 6gms of protein. A large egg is 6 or 7 grms of protein.

Forgive my ignorance but what's a NP? Nurse Practitioner. I'm sorry if i sounded like i was having a go at forum members who refer other posters to seek advice from their doctor/nuts. I just wanted to see how many people are having issues with their nut like me. Also, the thing about researching online about weight loss is a huge part of it is people's opinions and experiences which can be very relative in regards to other people. I feel comforted by definitive answers and I'm frustrated that my Dietician is reluctant to give me any. I wasn't offended. However just as a clarification, when I said do research I don't mean other forums like this. I mean legitimate sites by people who have actual credentials in health and wellness. I also am leery of information on sites that are trying to sell a product. My search for wellness was more than just a weight loss issue. I wanted to feel better and hopefully lessen the impact that my chronic conditions were having on my life. I didn't want artificial foods or short cuts and I prefer to limit the amount of medication and supplements I take. I wasn't interested in fad diet or detoxes and I was open to both traditional & holistic methods, and I was willing to put in the work necessary for a lifestyle change. I didn't want a temporary, quick fix. With those things in mind, I read everything from WebMD, to Wikipedia, to bloggers I respected such as BGG2WL. I was the same way when I looked at Bariatric programs. I invested to see what my insurance would cover. I then looked at what programs were available in my area. Once I narrowed it down to 2 I then attended informational seminars. What helped me finalize my decision was speaking with a trusted friend who had their bypass surgery with the doctor I choose. Sounds like a lot, but this is how I approach things.

Yes you are burning more calories. I always eat more on exercise days. I try to balance it out by having more substantial foods. I plan the bulk of my carbs my workout time and I always have protein and a healthy fat before and after my workouts.

I don't eat meat so I was just eating a lot of cheesy eggs, smashed beans, yogurt and cottage cheese in addition to protein shakes. It was only 2 weeks and it was a heck of a lot better than the all liquid phase so I had no complaints.

Talk to your doctor and see what he recommends. I vaguely remember seeing something negative about geritol which is why it's so difficult to find in store now. You may need to supplement your iron, but Geritol may not be the answer. Perhaps your doctor could give you a prescription for iron. Just make sure to drink extra water with it.

From what I gather scarring alopecia is a different sort of beast. Diet/vitamins/OTC topical solutions will not change it. So far I have a spot on the top of my head about the size of a quarter. Not horrible, but if I can stop it, I will. I have bra strap length dredlocs and I would rather not have to cut them off.

I trust mine but I have had several horrible nutritionist in the past. Prior to looking into WLS I saw 3 separate nutritionist. One insane lady kept asking me to eat chicken breast even after I had explained I was vegetarian. The worst one was one I was sent to by my endocrinologist. Once she started telling people it was okay to drink diet soda, I knew I was done with her. I then saw a holistic nutritionist who I really liked. Unfortunately her practice was nearly 2 hours away and she was too pricey for my budget. Finding a program that was willing to actually have a conversation with me about food options and work with my allergies & vegetarianism was a deal breaker. I don't like to eat a lot of processed and artificial foods no matter what the calorie count. I needed someone who understood and could accept that. If I felt that wasn't going to happen I would have kept researching programs. I do think you we need to take some responsibility and do a little research on our own, but I expected to have a reasonable conversation with my nutritionist. I like and trust the person I have now, but I understand why many don't. Speaking for my self, I am limited in what knowledge I can share in an online forum. When someone post that they aren't losing but they are following a good eating plan, however they also have medical issues, I think the wise thing to do is direct them to their medical team or nutritionist. It's not a cop out, it's just understanding the limitations of how much support you can provide in an online forum like this.

Are you taking medication for the alopecia? My dermatologist says there is a med that will stop the spread of it. I see her next month. I can get the name of it if you like. @beccaconaty87 - Just like sagging skin, hair loss varies from person to person and there is no way to predict or guarantee who will or won't be effected.

Call your medical team. Assuming you are getting in 64 ounces of water & exercising regularly, I don't see what you're missing.

I think this is at least the 3rd post this week asking this very same question. There are several brands of unflavored protein powders. Try doing a search and you should get a wide variety of answers.

Have you discussed your concerns with your medical team. You typically don't meet the anesthesiologist until pre-admission testing but when you do make your fear known. Make sure your surgical team is aware of your issues with nausea so they can have something at the ready for you post op. Try to think positive. I had a prior experience with desaturation coming out of anesthesia, but had no issues at all with my sleeve surgery. Also please know that not everyone has issues with nausea post op. I had a super smooth surgical process. No pain, nausea, or issues with anesthesia. My surgery went smoothly and I was able to walk in recovery. Trust your surgeon. This is really an easy procedure.

Call or email your nutritionist and talk to them. Do you keep a food diary? What have you been eating since February?

I would definitely cut out the fatty foods you are eating. cheese and trail mix aren't the best are full of fat and carbs. Other than the Protein shakes I wouldn't do milk at all. Try 2 shakes a day and one salad of lettuce (romaine or spinach) with olive oil/vinegar dressing or salsa instead of salad dressing and a good protein like chicken breast or a hard boiled egg. In between drink Water until you think you are going to float away. If you aren't already taking a Multivitamin, I would start. Also try to walk at least 60 minutes a day even if you have to break it up into 15 minute increments.